(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel and fabricating method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to an LCD panel and fabricating method thereof, which are capable of minimizing erosion of a common pad.
(b) Description of the Related Art
An LCD is a thin flat display device which presents an image by adjusting the light transmissivity of a dielectric anisotropic liquid crystal. The LCD device includes a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines crossing the gate lines, so as to define a plurality of cells. Each cell is provided with subpixels independently driven by a thin film transistor (TFT). The subpixels charge a difference voltage between a data signal supplied to a pixel electrode through the TFT and a common voltage supplied to a common electrode of a color filter substrate and drive liquid crystal molecules according to the charged voltage such that the light transmissivity is adjusted to implement a gradation depending on the data signal.
In order to apply the common voltage to the common electrode, a short point is needed to connect the common electrode formed on an upper substrate to a common pad formed on a lower substrate. Typically, the short point is formed on a non-display area rather than a display area provided by an adhesive and exposed to the exterior.
Such a short point is formed by coating a conductive paste on the common pad and applying hot press thereon. However, conductive particles within the conductive paste may be broken during the hot press process and thus cracks occur on an upper electrode of the common pad arranged below the conductive paste. Then, moisture or foreign substances permeate into the common pad through the cracks, and lower and intermediate electrodes of the common pad connected to the upper electrode of the common pad are eroded. The erosion of the electrodes distorts the common voltage supplied to the common electrode and further may propagate to a driving circuit formed on a printed circuit board for driving the display area and the signal lines of the display area, resulting in breakage of the signal line.